On the same day that Silas Redd declared his intention to transfer to USC a former Trojan and five star wide receiver recruit, Kyle Prater, became immediately eligible for his new team, the Northwestern Wildcats.

He had applied for a waiver because his return to the Chicago area was made to be closer to his family as they were going through some family issues. Prater received what is known as a residency waiver, thus allowing him to bypass the usual one-year wait that most transfers must undergo inside FBS football.

"Kyle has worked extremely hard since coming to Northwestern to prepare himself for this season and it's great that he will be rewarded for that effort," said Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald in a statement.

If completely healthy he has a chance to be a huge weapon for the Wildcats offense that also boasts one of the more intriguing prospects in now full-time QB Kain Colter.

Prater was the No. 1 WR prospect of the 2010 class, but nagging and minor injuries led him to redshirt that season and he found himself behind the duo of Marquies Lee and Robert Woods last season before deciding to transfer.

I'm not sure there's been a single player that's caught just one pass in his collegiate career that's garnered more attention, but it's easy to see why with his huge frame. Prater stands 6'5" tall and is about 220lbs. – heck his new teammates have even taken to calling him "Megatron" from the spring on.

He'll enter this fall with three seasons of eligibility remaining and he should be an immediate starter for the Wildcats as they open play on Sept. 1st.

Adding him as a weapon in the offense can only help the Wildcats who face the prospects of having to compete with the likes of Michigan, Michigan State, and Nebraska at the top of the Legends division in 2012.

About Andrew Coppens

Andy is a member of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA). He is the Managing Editor of MadTownBadger and associate editor of Bloguin's World Cup site, 32flags.com as well as Publisher of Big Ten site talking10.com